Chapter Twenty-Four
Arielle’s POV
The black SUV sped down the deserted highway, its tires slicing through the rain-soaked asphalt.
The interior of the car was dimly lit, the only sound between us was the occasional swish of windshield wipers and the steady hum of the engine.
It had started raining the moment we got out of Hell's Pit, Lorenzo had herded me towards the car and refused anyone else getting in.
I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my hands resting on my lap, my fingers curling into the fabric of my borrowed hoodie—Lorenzo’s hoodie. I wasn't sure why he had it in the car but I had been too cold to care.
It smelled like him, a mix of cedarwood, leather, and something else entirely him. If kept my wolf calm for some reason, the mate thing I guessed.
But as the silence stretched, it became almost suffocating. I stared out the rain-streaked window, watching the dark trees blur past as we sped down the winding road.
I didn’t know what to say.
Did I thank him?
Did I yell at him for taking this risk? Did I ask him if it had been worth it?
I swallowed hard, my throat dry and occasionally my gaze flickered toward him.
He barely had any facial expression it was like his face was carved in stone, he kept his jaw set, his eyes locked on the road.
Was he angry at me and for what ?
What did he have to be angry about I had spent weeks in that cell, shifting between wolf and human, trapped, alone, wondering if I would ever breathe fresh air again.
Now, I was out, and still the weight in my chest hadn’t lifted but he didn't seem fine either not with the tension in his body or the way the veins in his hands popped as he gripped the wheel.
Finally, I found my voice.
“…Thank you,” I said, barely above a whisper.
Lorenzo didn’t turn his head, but his grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly.
"For what?”
I let out a shaky breath.
“For saving me.”
His lips pressed into a thin line.
"I told you, I’ll do anything for my mate. I promised you I would find you a way out " he muttered and I sighed nodding slightly his words hit me harder than I expected.
My chest tightened as I heard his words
My mate.
I turned my face away, resting my forehead against the cool window and staring out of it at the blurred trees racing past. The rain outside had slowed, leaving streaks of water trailing down the glass like veins.
I should feel relieved. I should feel grateful that he was saying those words, they carried so much weight to them, so much meaning in our world.
It wasn’t just a title—it was bonding, belonging, forever. I had never had that before, in all my life I was an expendable to everyone around me, no one cared what happened to me.
So after everything that had happened, could I even believe in that anymore?
Was it possible for me to have a home and a family of my own. The ride continued in silence something filling the space between us like a physical barrier.
We didn't drive for too long before the car pulled into a long, gated driveway.
Lorenzo's house was beautiful and very large, was this where I was going to live, would this be my new home or my new prison. I clenched my hands together as the car rolled to a stop.
The moment the engine shut off, the doors opened and two of Lorenzo’s men stepped forward.
Lorenzo exited first,then turned to offer me a hand. I hesitated before taking it, letting him help me out of the vehicle. The gravel crunching beneath my bare feet as they touched the ground my legs stiff from sitting too long.
Lorenzo didn’t let go of my hand immediately. He held it for a second longer than necessary before finally releasing me.
The cold wet night air wrapped around me, biting against my exposed skin. I pulled the hoodie tighter around me, trying to shake off the unease curling in my stomach.
I didn’t want to be here, mating had not been in my plans of things to do anything time soon at all.
But what choice did I have?
Lorenzo turned to me, his gaze softer now, but still unwavering.
“Come inside. You need to rest.”
I hesitated for a split second before nodding.
Inside, the house was nothing like I expected.
It was grand, yes—polished marble floors, high ceilings, and a very delicately made chandelier that cast a low golden glow over the corridor—but it wasn’t cold.
We got further into the house that was even more quiet, maybe because it was late outside. The room was warmer than outside, probably the small fireplace in the main hall, the scent of freshly washed linen and faint traces of cinnamon, gave it an odd sense of home.
A woman stepped forward the moment I entered. She was younger, maybe just a few years older than me, with short chestnut hair and warm brown eyes.
She smiled.
" Welcome alpha " she greeted him and he nodded, she turned to me
“Miss Arielle,” she greeted, bowing slightly.
“I’m Lily. I’ll be attending to you.”
Attending to me? And how did she know my name.
I blinked, unsure of how to respond.
Lorenzo placed a hand on my back, guiding me gently but firmly forward.
“Lily will take you to your room. Get cleaned up. You’ll feel better after a bath.”
I glanced at him, searching for something in his expression that would give me a que on what to say, there was nothing he just kept watching me closely, waiting.
Finally, I nodded.
Lily led me up the staircase and down a long hallway before stopping in front of a large set of doors.
She pushed them open, revealing a bedroom that was… stunning. It was nothing like the cold, bare cell I had been locked in for weeks, which was a welcome relief.
The massive bed sitting in the center, was a very big deal since it looked soft and was covered in plush blankets and pillows.
This room also had a fireplace, it's flames casting flickering shadows across the elegant furniture.
A door to the side was opened and showed a nice bathroom, with the faint sound of running water I stood frozen in place.
This was a really gorgeous room, and it was all mine.
Lily turned to me, smiling gently.
“I ran a bath for you.” I swallowed hard.
“Thank you…”
She hesitated for a second before stepping forward and reaching for my hands.
They were still dirty from my time in Hell Pit, my nails were cracked, and my skin raw I wanted to pull away from her but her fingers closed around mine, warm and firmly.
“You’re safe now.” she whispered, I stood there looking to her desperately wanting to believe her but I couldn't.
I stepped into the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror—the hollow eyes, the bruised skin, that showed all the weight that I had lost, everything that had happened sat heavily on my chest— was I truly free
Or had I just traded one cage for another.